Morris Chestnut

Morris Chestnut

Chestnut at the San Diego Comic-Con International in July 2010
Born January 1, 1969
Cerritos, California, U.S.
Occupation Actor
Years active 1990–present
Spouse(s) Pam Byse (1995–present)
Children 2

Morris L. Chestnut (born January 1, 1969) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in the films Boyz n the Hood (1991), The Best Man (1999) and its sequel (2013), The Brothers (2001), Two Can Play That Game (2001), Like Mike (2002), Ladder 49 (2004), The Perfect Holiday (2007), Not Easily Broken (2009), Think Like A Man (2012), and TV series V (2009). Additionally, he co-starred on the short-lived Patti LaBelle 19921993 NBC sitcom Out All Night as Jeff Carswell. He is now the host of the new BET show Vindicated.

Early life

Chestnut, born in Cerritos, California, is the son of Morris Chestnut, Sr. and his wife Shirley.[1] He graduated from Richard Gahr High School in 1986, and subsequently studied finance and drama at California State University, Northridge.

°==Career== Chestnut's first professional acting role was as Jadon in Freddy's Nightmares: A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Series, season 2, episode 19 ("A Family Affair"), which aired on February 18, 1990. His first feature film role was as Ricky Baker in Boyz n the Hood (1991). He followed that up with roles in various TV movies. Chestnut also played a role on Patti LaBelle's short-lived sitcom Out All Night. His career continued to rise steadily with co-starring roles in standard big-budget studio films such as Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995) and G.I. Jane (1997).

In 1998, he won the annual Madden Bowl video game competition. In 1999, Chestnut starred in The Best Man with Taye Diggs and Nia Long, as a professional football player on the eve of his wedding. The Best Man earned positive reviews from the press and did well at the box office. For his performance Chestnut earned an NAACP Image Award nomination. He again played a football player in The Game Plan (2007). In 2001, he starred in The Brothers, a film centering on the themes of fidelity and success among young professionals. In 2004, he appeared as a firefighter in Ladder 49.

He has worked with Steven Seagal three times. In Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995), Chestnut is Seagal's reluctant partner. In both Half Past Dead (2002) and Prince of Pistols (2008), he co-stars as the main villain.

Personal life

Chestnut married Pam Byse in 1995 and they have two children.[2][3]

Filmography

Film and television
Year Title Role Notes
1991 Boyz n the Hood Ricky Baker
1991 The Last Boy Scout Locker room kid
1992–93 Out All Night Jeff Carswell 19 episodes
1992 In the Line of Duty: Street War Prince Franklin
1993 The Ernest Green Story Ernest Green TV movie
1994 The Inkwell Harold Lee
1995 Under Siege 2: Dark Territory Bobby Zachs
1995 Higher Learning Track Anchor Uncredited
1997 G.I. Jane McCool
1997 Firehouse Andre
1997–98 C-16: FBI Mal Robinson 12 episodes
1999 The Best Man Lance Sullivan Nominated-NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
2001 The Brothers Jackson Smith
2001 Two Can Play That Game Keith Fenton
2001 Scenes of the Crime Ray
2002 The Killing Yard Shango Nominated-Black Reel Award for Best Actor in a Television movie or Mini-series
2002 Like Mike Tracy Reynolds
2002 Half Past Dead Donald Robert Johnson
2003 Confidence Travis
2004 Breakin' All the Rules Evan Fields
2004 Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid Gordon Mitchell
2004 Ladder 49 Tommy Drake
2005 The Cave Top Buchanan
2007 The Game Plan Travis Sanders
2007 The Perfect Holiday Benjamin
2008 The Prince of Motor City Leo Moore
2009 Not Easily Broken Dave Johnson
2009–10 V Ryan Nichols 22 episodes
2011 American Horror Story: Murder House Luke 6 episodes
2012 Think Like a Man James Merrill
2013 Identity Thief Detective Reilly
2013 The Call Officer Phillips
2013 Kick-Ass 2 Marcus Williams
2013 The Best Man Holiday Lance Sullivan
2013–present Nurse Jackie Dr. Prentiss 22 episodes
2014–present Legends Tony Rice Main role
2014 Vindicated Himself Host
2015 The Perfect Guy Dave
2016 Bus 657 Derrick "Dog" Prince Filming
2016 When the Bough Breaks John Taylor Filming
2016 The Best Man Wedding[4][5][6] Lance Sullivan Pre-Production
TBA The Syndicate[7][8] Development

Theatrical performances

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Morris Chestnut.